Godly Financial Management Part 2
Paying God Part 3
Scriptures: Acts 15:1-29; Galatians 2:11-21; Matthew 25:13-30
Introduction:
In my message last week I shared with you that from my understanding of Scripture, tithing, as it is taught in Churches today is wrong because it was part of the Old Testament Law. I shared with you how we make it even worse as some pastors elevate their members who tithe while telling those who do not that they are cursed and will not be blessed financially. When you read the Bible and examine Jewish history and customs, you will find that what some teach as it relates to tithing is scripturally inaccurate. Understand, I am not saying that we should not support God’s work financially; but what I am saying is that you are not required under our new covenant to tithe. While this knowledge may bring some relief, you may be shocked to know that in some cases God wants us to give more than ten percent. Regardless, the choice is ours and what we choose to give we must do it cheerfully. But as we grow in our relationship with God we must listen because God will direct our giving if we begin to use the money that He places within our hands according to His will. This morning I want to share a couple of situations with you pertaining to the conversion of the Gentiles and how dissension arose when some of the Jews “tried” to make them Jews and discuss God’s expectation of a return on His investment in us. Let’s start with Acts chapter fifteen.
I. Save By Faith, Not The Law
In Acts chapter 15 a story is told of a group of Jews that began teaching the newly converted Gentile that they must be circumcised in order to really be saved. Now this was after they had accepted Christ and God had filled them with His Holy Spirit. Imagine being touched by God and then being told it did not mean anything unless you were circumcised. (This is what some are doing as it relates to tithing – telling people their salvation means nothing if they do not tithe.)
In the Jewish culture and according to God’s instruction to Abraham, the rite of circumcision is performed on the eighth day of a boy's life. The ritual usually takes place in the morning at the family's home. Circumcision is commanded in Genesis 17:10-14 as an outward sign of a man's participation in Israel's covenant with God, as well as a sign that the Jewish people would continue to exist or be remembered through Him. The commandment is incumbent upon both father and child - fathers must see that their sons are circumcised, and uncircumcised grown men are obligated to perform the rite. Those who are not circumcised suffer the penalty of losing their divine connection to God, no matter how otherwise observant they may be of the Law. This is why these men, when learning of the conversion of the Gentiles, felt obligated to tell them that they needed to be circumcised. As far as they were concerned, when the Gentiles accepted Christ they became the same as them (Jews) and as a Jew they had to observe this part of the Law in order to “really” be saved. It became such an issue that Paul and Barnabas were sent back to Jerusalem to receive an “answer” from the council of apostles. During the debate Peter stood before the assembly and said the following: “And God, who knows the heart, testified to them giving them the Holy Spirit, just as He also did us: and He made no distinction between us and them, cleansing their hearts by faith. Now therefore why do you put God to the test by placing upon the neck of the disciples a yoke which neither our fathers nor we have been able to bear?” (Acts 15:8-10) What Peter was referring to was the burden of the Law which Jesus had delivered them from. He was stating that both Jews and Gentiles would be saved through grace without the yoke of the Law or the rite of circumcision. After the discussion, James, the half-brother of Jesus and president of the council made the final declaration in Acts 15:19-20. He declared “Therefore it is my judgment that we do not trouble those who are turning to God from among the Gentiles, but that we write to them that they abstain from things contaminated by idols and from fornication and from what is strangled and from blood.” In order to promote peace between Jewish and Gentile believers, the Gentiles were “asked” to abstain from any practice abhorrent to Jewish Christians. The Jewish Christians would then socialize with them. Although the decision was given as a compromise it served to open the door for the Jewish Christians to be able to fellowship with the newly converted Gentile Christians. In this situation we find that the Gentiles were never expected to begin to live under the Law which never applied to them. However, the opposite was true – they were expected to live a holy and righteous life by faith in Jesus Christ! Let’s examine the second situation that actually stems from this one. Remember, in this situation Peter was the one who stated that God had made no distinction between the Jews and the Gentiles and asked why they were considering putting a burden on the Gentiles that even the Jews could not carry. Turn to Galatians 2:11-21.
Paul shares a story about his confrontation with Peter. He talked about how Peter ate with the Gentiles until some of the Jewish Christians came to town who believed in circumcision. When they came to town Peter would withdraw himself from eating with the Gentiles. Others, including Barnabas, watching Peter do this, followed his example. Can you imagine how the Gentiles felt? They were fellowshipping together and then all of a sudden Peter would no longer sit down with them when certain other Jewish Christians were in town. Paul taking note of this confronted Peter to his face. Let’s read starting at verse fourteen. “But when I saw that they were not straightforward about the truth of the gospel, I said to Cephas in the presence of all, ‘If you, being a Jew, live like the Gentiles, and not like the Jews, how is it that you compel the Gentiles to live like Jews? We are Jews by nature and not sinners from among the Gentiles; nevertheless knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the Law but through faith in Christ Jesus, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, so that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the Law; since by works of the Law no flesh will be justified.” (Galatians 2:14-16) Paul asked Peter why was he trying to get the Gentiles to live like a Jew (under the Law) when he (Peter) did not live that way himself. The Gentiles were never required or expected to live under the Law, but to walk with Christ through faith. It was faith that saved, not the work of the Law. Tithing was also a part of this same Law. Are you making the connection? I know some of you may be wondering if you’re not required to tithe what is your responsibility to give and from this point forward I will deal with that. Before I can get into how we are to give under the new covenant I need to share with you the expectation that God has of us as it relates to how we use the money He has placed within our hands. This is the reason that I asked you to read Matthew 25:14-30.
I. A Return On God’s Investment
Rev. Williams read this Scripture to us several weeks ago. Matthew chapter twenty-five verses fourteen through thirty deals with a lesson Jesus taught on bringing to God a return on His investment. This lesson contrasts the difference between those who make use of God’s gifts and those who do not. The word “talents” in these verses is actually silver (money). In other words, God expects us to bring Him a return on the monies He places within our hands. This morning I want you to consider how this Scripture would play out as it relates to how we manage our finances. If we believe and accept the truth that as Christians the money that comes within our hands are from God and that we have a responsibility to use those funds to further His kingdom while also providing for our family, then there is a level of accountability that comes along with it. God expects something from us and it is not the expectation that we live from paycheck to paycheck and giving to His work of what we have left over. If you are not returning to God an investment return on the monies He is placing within your hands you are, in my opinion, in sin. You really need to read this story very carefully. Tithing was mandated to the farmers in the Old Testament so the priests would have a means of support as they were not allotted an inheritance. Under the New Covenant, the responsibility for taking care of God’s business now rests on the shoulders of all of us. Let review a few verses from this section of Scripture. Look down at verse fifteen. “To one he gave five talents, to another, two, and to another, one, each according to his own ability; and he went on his journey. (Vs. 15)
The first point I want you to remember is that God gave each person a sum of money based on their personal ability to manage it. For the purpose of clarification, let’s look at this from a worker’s view point as each of these servants was slaves. In our term he gave the director five thousand dollars; the first line manager two thousand dollars and the line worker one thousand dollars. He gave to each of them according to the job they held and their ability to earn more. I want you to see this because there are many people who believe they cannot give to God as they should because they do not make as much as the next person. Even though one may make less than someone else; God still expects that the one who makes less will manage their money according to His standards. He expects that we will honor Him with whatever He places within our hands and spending everything we get on living in this world is not honoring Him. Look at verse eighteen. “But he who received the one talent went away, and dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money.” (Vs. 18)
In other words this slave did absolutely nothing with his master’s money. It is the same as the line worker taking his one thousand dollars and blowing all of the money on himself (purchasing everything he wanted in this life.) In the story, what the slave received belonged to his master and it was his responsibility to manage his master’s money while he was away. For us today, this represents the money we make from our jobs or any business that we may own. If we believe that God is our source then we have a responsibility to Him. As you recall from the story, when the master returned home he called his three slaves to give an account of what they did with his money. The first two doubled what he had given them but the third slave only had what his master had given him. He did give the full talent back, but let’s examine again the master’s response. Look at verse twenty-six and twenty-seven. “But his master answered and said to him, ‘You wicked, lazy slave, you knew that I reap where I did not sow and gather where I scattered no seed. Then you ought to have put my money in the bank, and on my arrival I would have received my money back with interest.”
The master was not happy with his slave just returning his money to him. His expectation was that he would receive his money plus more. Why do you think he had this expectation? Because had the master kept the money himself he would have used it and earned more money. By giving the money to this one slave and the slave hiding it in the ground, the master actually lost money and that is what he pointed out to the slave. The least he could have done was put the money in the bank and earned a little interest but he did not bother doing that. If this servant was not comfortable taking risks in order to double his master’s money then the least he could have done was safely put it in the bank. The master was not upset about “how little” he would have returned to him, it was the fact that he did not return anything. When you read the rest of the story you know that this slave’s ending was not good. We must ask ourselves if God is pleased with our return to Him. This slave gave his master back what he received and was condemned because of his laziness in not trying to get a return so that He could return more to his master. What does this tell us about God’s expectation?
Let me give you a real example so you understand the impact of this story. I personally know individuals who make less than $25,000 per year and some that make over $85,000 per year. (In case you’re wondering I am not talking about any of you as I do not know what any of you give to God’s work.) The household that makes $25,000 per year give more to God than the household that makes over $85,000 per year. And what is so interesting is that the household that’s making more than $85,000 is struggling more to make ends meet. The household making $25,000 is making out just fine. What is the difference? The difference is how each household chooses to honor God with what they receive. It is not about the total sum, but what you choose to do with it. Some want everything this world can offer while others choose to enjoy some of the things of this world while also sincerely investing in their eternity. Again, I caution you to understand that God is not pleased with how some of us are using the money He places within our control. We are not doing anything with it to further His kingdom. If I make $60,000 a year and I give God $1,500, something is seriously wrong with this picture in my personal opinion. But let me move on before I really get on my soapbox.
Here is what Jesus said in verse thirty was the master’s response to this servant: “Throw out the worthless slave into the outer darkness; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” (Matthew 25:30) We like to think of God as all loving and there will be no repercussion for what we do here on earth – that is not the image that comes from this verse. The description of where this slave was thrown is a description that Jesus used of hell. In this lesson two of the men received the same reward, indicating that faithfulness in the use of the different abilities given to each of is required. The third was condemned for his sloth and indifference. To bring this point home, go back up to verse thirteen and fourteen and read them together for this is all part of one lesson. It says, “Be on the alert then, for you do not know the day nor the hour. For it is just like a man about to go on a journey, who called his own slaves and entrusted his possessions to them.” Jesus was not just telling a story, He was describing a principle that God operates by. He was describing the level of accountability to God that we should walk under. Our lives mean something and we will answer for what we are doing with the resources that God has placed within our control.
I want you to understand that as a Christian there is a level of accountability placed on us that is not on others who do not believe. The resources that come within our hands are not ours to fully do with as we please. Our first thought should be about making sure we are about God’s business and then everything else falls into place. For most households our primary focus is living as represented by buying material things and paying our bills. However, when God blesses us with money He sees it as an opportunity for us to choose to further His kingdom (a return on His investment.) Although we are not required to tithe, we are required to give and to do so freely and with a cheerful spirit.
This is the foundation that I wanted to lay this morning. I will continue this message next week. This week as you spend time with God, ask Him if you’re truly honoring Him with your finances and if the answer is no, ask Him to help you manage your finances so that you can in the future.
Until next week, may God continue to bless and keep you.
